HEINEKEN STAR PLAYER

Along with a selection of IBWM readers, we had a bash at Heineken’s Star Player game t’other week. Whilst viewing Man United v Benfica and Chelsea’s trip to Bayer Leverkusen we took part in the interactive soiree, which Heineken promises will transform TV football watching into a social interactive experience for fans. We also uncovered a world of spite and internal competitiveness between the editorial team at IBWM that we never knew existed. Ho hum.

Before it all kicked off though, have to say we had a good laugh with the game. Initial thoughts of ‘hang on, we’ll not be watch the match’ were quickly dismissed as Star Player centres around predicting from a series of what happens next moments when play is halted. Corners and any free kicks within a certain range are greeted with a range of options and a corresponding amount of points. With a rapidly decreasing time allowed to take a punt on your decision, saves, clearances and missed shots can end up being celebrated just as readily as any goal. Play along with you mates, or a much wider audience and things can get rather spicy.....as our local casualty department will readily confirm when things at IBWM towers became, erm, ‘heated’.

Fair play to IBWM reader Lee Clowes though, whose powers of prediction, especially in the last ten minutes of the Chelsea Leverkusen game, rocketed him past our little group to the top of the IBWM league and a pair of tickets to watch Manchester City play Bayern Munich this week. Which we aren’t bitter about at all. In any way. No sir. Grrrrrr.

Heineken Star Player will be available ahead of this week’s European Champions League matches and you can register to play here. The StarPlayer game is also available from the App Store on iPhone or iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.